Is the Exterior of Your Home Ready for the Minnesota Winter? Top Problem Areas to Examine

Winters in Minnesota are notorious for being very long, cold, with plenty of snow, freezing rain, and ice. It’s messy and frigid, a combination that most people tend to dread. Because it can start as early as the beginning of November, it’s time to switch gears and take stock of the exterior of your home to ensure it’s ready for what’s coming. The winters are cold and wet enough on their own, so you don’t want to have to be dealing with leaks and other issues on the interior.

As you do a walk of the perimeter of your home and yard there are a few main “problem areas” that you want to take special care to check over. Here’s a look at those main areas.

Check the Roof Well

The last thing you want to be dealing with in the dead of winter is a leaky roof. Now is the time to walk the entire circumference of your home examining the roof thoroughly. You should be looking for shingles that are buckling and curling, missing shingles, valleys that have been created on your roof where snow could pile up, and checking that the flashing is all in place.

Examine the Windows and Doors

Another potential problem area is the windows and doors. If the weather-stripping has seen better days, then your home is going to be extremely draughty through the winter. This is not only uncomfortable, it will also cost you a lot more money to keep the house warm. Replacing the weather-stripping is a project most people can do on their own.

If you want to take things a little further you can also have storm windows and storm doors installed, which will really cut down on heat loss. Now is also the time to make repairs to the frames of the doors and windows if there is any damage or rot that exists.

Prune the Foliage

Because you don’t want to be attempting any gardening in the winter, it’s best to look for potential problem areas now. Take a look at the trees and shrubs, are any overgrown with branches infringing on doorways, windows, walk paths, and even electrical wires? Once these branches get loaded down with snow and ice, they can break and cause a lot of damage to the area around them. Now is the time to do a little preventative pruning and make sure it won’t be a problem.

You’re Are Ready as Can Be for Winter

By using these tips you’ll be prepping the exterior of your home for the nasty weather that is on its way. This will keep your home comfortable, energy-efficient, and safe all winter long.